Schaumburg OKs top cop's pension

The Schaumburg Police Pension Board voted unanimously Tuesday to award retired police chief Richard Casler his $69,078 annual pension, even though he still runs the department as a civilian.

The decision allows Casler, 50, to keep his job and $106,274 salary with the department while receiving his pension for 26 years as a police officer. Final approval came after more than a month of negotiation between Casler's lawyer and state regulators, who questioned the legality of the arrangement.

Schaumburg officials believe the deal is legal and that it lets the village keep a good chief from going to another department.

The Illinois Department of Insurance, which regulates all state pension funds, was concerned that Casler was director in name only and was in effect still police chief.

In the end, the village had to designate the department's two deputy chiefs as police chiefs to satisfy the Insurance Department.

Casler will remain their boss as director of police, essentially the same job he held before with the same salary.

Pension board attorney Cary Collins said the new arrangement with the Insurance Department would serve as a model for other departments that want to keep their police chiefs after they reach retirement age.